Lamp socket



. Nov. 24, 1942. F. D. BRYANT ErAL 2,303,156

LAMP SOCKET Fild April 25, 1941 Inventors: Vrank D Bryant, .lliam R Young,

Their Attorney.

Patented Nov. 24, 1942 LAMP SOCKET Funk n. amat, sintiera, and william n. Young, Falrileld. Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a-corporation ot New York Application April 23, 1941, semi No. 389,870

3 claims. (ci. 17a-32s) Our invention relates to a lamp socket and more particularly to a lamp socket for tubular electric lamps, for example, nuorescent lamps o! the type now in commercial use.

One object of our invention is the provision of an improved form of lamp socket of the type described so constructed and arranged as lto `lock the lamp in position.

Another object of our invention is to provide a lamp socket with locking means operable without the necessity of rotating the lamp.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view of a socket constructedin accordance with our invention with the iront cover removed show- -ing the contact pins of a lamp in seated position but prior to locking; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. Vl showing the lamp pins in locked position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the socket taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 41s another sectional view through the socket taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and F1g.5 is an exploded view of the socket.

' Referring to the drawing, we have shown a socket II designed vfor use with double-ended discharge lamps of the type now in commercial use, for example, fluorescent lamps. Such lamps are provided with an elongated glass envelope closed at each end by ferrules carrying spaced contact pins for connection to the cathodes at each end ofV the lamp. Since fluorescent lamps of this type are well known, such a lamp is not shown by the drawing with the exception that the lamp contact pins, which cooperate with the socket, are shown in dotted lines in the iigures and are designated II.

The socket It comprises a housing I2 of insulating material, such as a molded plastic, provided in one face with recesses I3 and I4 separated by a wall I5. An opening I6 ofl annular form is likewise formed in the face but spaced from the recesses; the opening extends to the upper edge of the housing, as shown at I'I. The housing thus described may be molded in a single piece. as shown by Fig. 5. The recess and opening may be covered with a closure plate I8 of insulating material, such as sheet fiber, which rests flush with a ilanged wall I9 on the periphery of the housing and is secured in position by a screw I8.

The socket is provided with ilxed contact members 20 and 2l located in the recesses I3 and I4, respectively. At one end each contact member is provided with a curved contact surtace 22 which extends through an opening 23 into the opening I6. At the other end, each contact member is formed with a laterally extending terminal portion 25 seated in a groove 26 formed in the 4base of the housing. Each terminal portion carries a binding screw 2l for connection to an electrical circuit, access to the binding screws being attained through openings 23 formed in the base of the housing. The contact members 20 and 2I are. made of ilexible material, such as spring bronze and are biased so that the contact surfaces 22 tend to extend through the openings in the wall 24, as shown by Fig. 5.

Cooperating with the fixed contact members 20 and 2l are movable contact elements 29 and 30 carried by a rotatable element or disk 3l (Fig. 5) of annular form which is located within the annular opening I6. The disk 3l is made in two parts 32 and 33 of insulating material, such as a molded plastic. Each part is formed with diametrically opposite recesses 34 for receiving the contact elements 29 and 30. The recesses 34 are provided with slots 35 at one end for receiving the bent-over tangs 36, formed on the ends oi.' the contact elements so that the elements are held in fixed position on the disk. In assembling the contact elements on the rotatable disk, the contacts are first placed in the recesses on one part of the disk with the tangs 36 resting in the slots 35 and thereafter the other part is moved to ilt the contact elements in the corresponding slots; the parts 32, 33 are then secured together by any suitable fastening means, such as screws 3l extending through aligned openings 38 in the parts 32, 33 of the disk 3|. In assembled position, the contact elements 29 and 30 lie flush with the outer periphery of the disk 3| and the contacts are slightly curved to conform to the contour of the disk. This means that when the disk is assembled in the opening I6, the contact elements are freely rotatable within the housing along with the disk. The contact elements 29 and 30 are located on the disk to cooperate with the flexible contact blades 20 and 2|, respectively. Normally the contact surfaces 22 of the contact blades 20 and 2I ride over the outer surfaces of the rotatable contact elements. In lo'cked position, however, the contact surfaces 22 snap into depressions 33 formed in the contact blades 29 and 30. This aids in preventing accidental rotation of the disk. The disk may be rotated manually in any suitable manner as by a handle 40.

For receiving the lamp contact pins the rotatable disk is provided with a diametrical slot 4I of a width and depth to permit seating of the lamp pinsinthemannershownbyrig. 1. Aslotli is formed in the cover Il in alignment with'the slot Il. At opposite ends the slot 4I is formed with curved extensions l2 extending in opposite directions so that the diametrical slot and extensions form a slot in the general shape of the letter Z. The extensions 42 merge with the recesses Il so that portions of themovable contact elements 2l and $0 extend vinto the extensions; these portions are formed with depressed contact surfaces ll for engaging the lamp pins in a manner now to be described.

In mounting the lamp on the socket. the spaced contact pins il of the lamp are inserted laterally in alignment into the slot 4I to the position shown by Fig. 1. Thereafter the rotatable disk Il is moved clockwise to the position shown by Fig. 2. This moves the arcuate extensions I2 around the contact pins and brings the contact surfaces II of the movable contact elements 20 and 30 into engagement with the lamp pins completing a circuit to the lamp. At this point the flexible ilxed contact blades 20 and 2l snap into the depressions 3l preventing the rotatable disk frombecoming dislodged or jarred out of position. Rotation of the disk is limited by engagement of the handle 40- with the sides of the opening I1. The lamp is securely locked in 4position on the socket by the rotatable disk since in circuit closing position the open end of the slot 4| is rotated to a position where it is closed by the wall 24 of the housing. Accidental rotation of the lamp is prevented by the fixed slot Ii in the cover il through which the contact pins are moved at the same time that they enter the slot 4I.

Our socket provides a construction which locks the lamp in position and simultaneously completes a circuit to the lamp. The construction is particularly useful in those cases wherein it is dimcult to rotate the lamp yet where it is desired to lock it in position. This is of advantage in cases where the associated reflector or fixture closely surrounds the lamp, making movement oi the lamp diiiicult.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. A socket for use with a lamp having spacedA contact pins comprising, in combination, a housing of insulating material, spaced contact members carried by said housing, a member rotatably mounted on said housing and being provided with an elongated slot for receiving the lamp contact pins as the latter are moved in alignment into said slot, opposite ends of said slot being formed with lateral recesses extending in opposite directions for receiving the contact pins upon rotation of said member and conducting elements carried by said member projecting into said recesses, said conducting elements cooperating with the said spaced contact members and being adapted to engage the lamp pins for completing an electrical circuit between the lamp pins and said contact members upon rotation of said member.

2. In a socket for use with a lamp having spaced contact pins, a housing of insulating material. spaced contact members carried by said housing, a member rotatably mounted on said housing and being provided with a diametrical slot for receiving the lamp contact pins as the latter are moved in alignment therethrough, the ends of the slot being provided with recesses extending laterally in opposite directions, conducting elements carried by said member and extending into corresponding recesses, said conducting members being in engagement with said spaced contact members, rotation of said member moving the conducting members into engagement with the lamp contact pins and locating the pins in said recesses and guide means carried by said housing and cooperating with the lamp to prevent rotation thereof upon rotation of said member.

3. In a socket for use with a lamp having spaced contact pins, a housing of insulating material having an annular recess therein, an annular member rotatably mounted in said recess, conducting elements carried on diametrically opposite portions of said rotatable member within said.v recess, spaced xed contact members carried by said housing and being biased into engagement with corresponding conducting elements, said rotatable member being provided with an elongated slot therein for receiving the lamp contact pins as the latter are moved in alignment therethrough, vopposite ends of the slot being provided with recesses extending in opposite directions for receiving the contact pins upon rotation of said rotatable member, portions of the conducting elements extending into the last named recesses for engagement with the lamp pins as the rotatable member is rotated to seat the lamp pins in position in the said last named recesses.

FRANK D. BRYANT.

WILLIAM R. YOUNG. 

